Practice review 1: Reporting, recording and investigating

PresentationNeil Denton, Community Safety Officer,

Newcastle City Council Caron Storey, Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour

Enforcement Team, Your Homes Newcastle

Please imagine you are floating along in a hot air balloon

Suddenly the balloon begins to drop from the sky – there is too much in it!

You need to decide what to get rid of….and quickly!

• Please cross out 7 items from your balloon

Still Falling!!!

Get rid of another 7

Still Falling!!!

Get rid of another 6

How much more can you take!!!

Get rid of another 5

Phew! You’re safe

• Was it harder to get rid of things towards the end?

• Why do you think that is?• The loss of things impacts people

differently

Balloon and attachment

• Those things that form our identity are very valuable to us – we are very “attached” to them

• In general terms, we are affected more if those things we value most are threatened

• This is why hate crime – racism and homophobia have such a severe impact

Hate incidents - lessons to learn

• Nuisance? Annoyance? Alarm? Distress? Harassment?

• Confidence to report• Partnership working• Transparent and action focussed• Quality controlled• Proportionate not preferential

ARCH - Reporting and Case Management

• Web based – to report in person or by phone• Referral to organisations that can help – logged and

linked to Service Level Agreement• Case Management system to improve

communication and accountability• Case monitoring and dip sampling to increase level

and quality of actions….and how well agencies work together (using real cases and not just warm words)

R Thomas Feb 2002 PilotTelephone: 232 8520 x25841E-mail: robyn.thomas@newcastle.gov.uk

PerformanceManagement

VictimSupportGroups

Resourcing

Public/AwarenessRaising

InformationGathering

Policy

Information

Service

Improvements

Client/victim

consent

Enforcement

i2

AnonymousCase Reviews

AnonymousCase Reviews

Analysis andMonitoring

ActionReferralReporting Recording

Types of Anti Social Behaviour(Service Standards)

1 Day 5 Day 10 DayHarassment Noise AnimalsHate Alcohol RubbishDrugs Vehicle Communal Violence Other Crime Maintain Threats to Staff

Preparing staff -Interview the Victim

• Use ‘one page’ handouts from staff intranet• Keep accurate records• Dates & times• Duration of incident & what happened?• Who said what?• Any witnesses?• Have there been any previous incidents?• Any other agencies involved?• Refer to Victim Support?• What impact has the incident had on the victim?• In-put information onto Northgate IT system

• Keep accurate records• Keep interview impersonal• Stick to the point• Maintain witness confidentiality• Keep calm & repeat your message if necessary• Give a specified period to improve behaviour• Is Mediation appropriate?

Interviewing the perpetrator

Accessible service

• Introduced a 24 hr reporting line• Linked to Night Watch service• On-line incident diaries• Surgeries in the neighbourhoods• Officers meet Victims at location of their choice• On-line resident perception survey• Dictaphones and translation of key documents

Key issues• Give regular feedback to victim – be open and honest, not

just fill in diaries• Assess the case – what are the main issues?• All new allegations/incidents must be raised with

perpetrators early• Determine individual complaints – ‘what’s fair in the

circumstances of the case’• Don’t stereotype – judge the complaint not the complainant-

eg. Young people can be victims too!• Remember the role of the victim and perpetrator can change

during the course of the investigation

Progress and improvements

• Multi-agency working• Tenant satisfaction• Low eviction rate• Improved inspection results• Corporate memory………

– Standardised responses, operational guidance• ………Idiot proof?

Tricky Issues

• Consistency of use and application• Report date is day 1• Realistic expectations• Feedback to victim• When is closure closure?• Maintaining dialogue whilst challenging

behaviour